Eastern Han Dynasty, not the Three Kingdoms

Chapter 1167 Civil and Military Officials Go Mad and Overstep Their bounds

Seeing that Zhang Fei and Zhao Yun had been unable to defeat Ma Chao, Pang Tong, standing to the side, showed a hint of impatience in his eyes and gave Huang Zhong another wink. Huang Zhong, who could no longer contain himself, suddenly drew his long sword from his waist and said in a deep voice, "The might of the King of Liang is awe-inspiring! I'll join in the fun!" With that, he charged at Ma Chao with his sword.

Three heroes against one hero, the situation on the field instantly became tense. Ma Chao fought against three opponents, and although he was gradually losing ground, he still fought to the death. His spear flashed like pear blossoms, and every move was made with the ruthless spirit of mutual destruction.

Xu Huang, watching anxiously from the sidelines, jumped up, drew his longsword, and was about to rush forward to help, but Guan Yu grabbed him. "Yun Chang!" Xu Huang exclaimed urgently, "Is today going to be like what happened in Chang'an back then?"

Guan Yu drew his sword, his gaze fixed on the fighting figures in the arena, his brows furrowed in worry. He shouted sternly at Zhang Fei, Zhao Yun, and Huang Zhong, "Third brother! Stop when the fighting is over!"

However, the three ignored him and their attacks became even more ferocious. Ma Chao was forced to lean back and dodge, not daring to relax for a moment.

Seeing Ma Chao in grave danger, Xu Huang was sweating profusely. He forcefully broke free from Guan Yu's grasp, drew his sword, and charged forward, shouting, "My lord, we've fallen for Liu Bei's treacherous scheme again!"

He stood in front of Ma Chao, deflecting Huang Zhong's longsword with his own. Huang Zhong then launched a fierce attack on Xu Huang.

Pang Tong, watching clearly from the corridor, saw Xu Huang join the battle, and Guan Yu still trying to stop him. He knew he couldn't delay any longer; his lord was likely to return soon. He abruptly picked up his wine cup and smashed it to the ground!

A crisp "snap" sounded, like a signal.

Suddenly, the rooms surrounding the hall were pushed open at the same time, and dozens of axemen swarmed out, each holding a sharp blade and with fierce eyes; several rows of archers appeared on the eaves, arrows nocked and aimed directly at the people in the center, surrounding them completely.

"What are you trying to do?!" Guan Yu was both shocked and furious upon seeing this. He stepped into the arena, sword in hand, shouting, "Pang Tong! How dare you!"

Pang Tong slowly walked out of the corridor, his face devoid of any smile. He coldly said, "General Guan, I'll explain later. Right now, we must capture Ma Chao!" He shouted sharply to the axemen, "Charge!"

The axemen responded in unison, raising their swords to advance.

"Let's see who dares!" Guan Yu roared, pointing his long sword directly at Pang Tong. "Gentlemen, why don't you stop fighting immediately!"

The archer looked at the group of people fighting in the field, his eyes filled with confusion, and he hesitated to make a move.

However, the axemen did not hesitate and rushed forward. Guan Yu saw that he could not stop them, so he angrily drew his sword and fought with the surging axemen.

The battle on the field had reached a fever pitch. Zhang Fei had a gash cut open in his chest by Ma Chao's longsword, and blood was flowing down his sleeve. Yet, he roared like a madman, his longsword swirling like a whirlwind, each strike aimed at Ma Chao's vitals. Zhao Yun's sword was also becoming increasingly fierce, its light flashing like a bolt of lightning, carrying a sharp whistling sound as it blocked Ma Chao's attacks.

Seeing Xu Huang desperately resisting Huang Zhong, Ma Chao decided to stop holding back. His longsword flew like a silver snake emerging from its hole, and his moves became ruthless. He thrust out another sword, piercing Zhang Fei's arm. Although not fatal, it caused Zhang Fei to roar in pain.

But Xu Huang on the other side was already at his breaking point. Huang Zhong's sword was fast and heavy; he had been struck three times in the chest, shoulder, and thigh, blood soaking through his armor and flowing down his trousers, forming a small puddle on the ground. Yet he still gripped his sword tightly, his eyes fixed on Huang Zhong, ready to pounce with his last ounce of strength should his opponent make the slightest move.

Just then, a series of hurried footsteps came from the direction of the back courtyard. Liu Bei had just finished arranging for the children to come to the front yard when he heard the commotion. At first, he thought it was just the lively atmosphere of a banquet, but the more he listened, the more something seemed off. The chaotic sounds of clashing weapons mixed with Zhang Fei's angry roars didn't sound like jokes at all. His heart tightened, and he ran towards the front yard, the sword at his waist clanging with each step.

Upon entering the flower hall, the scene before him made his eyes widen in horror—swordsmen surrounded Guan Yu, fighting him fiercely; archers were nocking their arrows and aiming; Ma Chao, covered in sweat, was locked in combat with Zhang Fei and Zhao Yun; the three men's swords clashed, sparks flying; and Xu Huang, despite being struck by several swords, was still struggling to fight Huang Zhong!

"Stop! All of you, stop!" Liu Bei roared anxiously, drawing his double-edged sword from his waist and charging into the fray. With a clang, his right sword deflected Zhang Fei's blade, while his left parried Zhao Yun's attack. "What on earth happened?! Who gave you permission to start this?!"

Zhang Fei, his weapon deflected, paused for a moment, then, seeing it was Liu Bei, exclaimed urgently, "Brother! This Ma Chao..."

"Shut up!" Liu Bei roared, his eyes bloodshot as he scanned the mess on the ground—broken sword tassels and bloodstained cloths scattered everywhere—before turning to Pang Tong cowering in the corridor. "Shiyuan! What on earth happened?!"

Pang Tong's face turned pale, and he opened his mouth but couldn't utter a word. Although the fighting had stopped, the swordsmen still held their swords high, and the archers still aimed their arrows. The air was thick with the stench of blood, making it hard to breathe.

Looking at Zhang Fei, Zhao Yun, and the others panting heavily in the arena, and then glancing at the arrows poised to be released in the archers' hands, Liu Bei's anger surged to the top of his head. He shouted sternly, "Drop your weapons, all of you!"

Ma Chao was supporting the swaying Xu Huang. The warmth he had shown towards Liu Bei earlier had been completely extinguished by the sight before him, leaving only cold indifference in his eyes. He glanced down at the blood gushing from Xu Huang's body, then looked up at Liu Bei, his gaze as icy as ice.

Liu Bei, unaware of the intricacies of the situation, noticed Ma Chao's grim expression and hurriedly went to ask, "Junior brother, are you alright? Are you injured?"

“Senior brother,” Ma Chao interrupted him, his voice eerily calm, “you’ve taught me another lesson. In today’s situation, whether you kill me or torture me is entirely up to you.”

"Junior brother, what are you saying!" Liu Bei, in a panic, threw his double-edged sword to the ground with a clatter and rushed forward to help him up, but Ma Chao waved his sleeve to block him. "I really didn't know it would turn out like this! I just returned from the inner quarters and saw this scene as soon as I entered the door, I..."

Ma Chao's lips curled into a faint smile, tinged with mockery: "Senior brother, your acting is truly superb. Even if I die today, I'll have witnessed a good show, and it won't be a waste."

"You!" Liu Bei was both anxious and angry. When he turned around, his eyes were bloodshot, and he glared at the frozen crowd around him. "What exactly happened?! Explain yourself! Speak up!"

The room was deathly silent, with only the crackling of the candlelight.

Seeing this, Liu Bei rushed to Zhang Fei and kicked him in the back of the knee: "You idiot! Tell me! Did you start this?!"

Zhang Fei was kicked so hard he slumped down, his head hanging even lower, his hands gripping the scabbard, his lips trembling, too cowardly to utter a word.

Liu Bei then turned to Zhao Yun, his gaze sharp as a knife: "Zilong, tell me! You've always been so composed, how could you join in this nonsense?!"

Zhao Yun also kept his head down, his longsword already thrown aside, his hands clasped to his sides, his Adam's apple bobbing a few times, but he ultimately remained silent.

"My lord, please calm your anger." At this moment, Huang Zhong stepped forward, his voice hoarse but with a hint of stubbornness, "Ma Chao has the support of the two provinces of Yong and Liang, and his power is growing stronger every day. If we do not eliminate him today, he will surely become a major threat in the future. I... am doing this for the sake of your great cause, my lord."

Liu Bei whirled around, bent down to pick up the double-edged sword from the ground, pointed one hand at Huang Zhong, and the other at Pang Tong under the eaves: "Who taught you to say that?! Mr. Shiyuan, and Kongming—was it your idea?!"

Zhuge Liang's face turned deathly pale. He subconsciously took a half step back, and the feather fan in his hand fell to the ground with a "thud." He had never seen his lord so furious and almost out of control. His fingertips trembled slightly, and he couldn't utter a single word of explanation.

Pang Tong, however, wore a stubborn smile and took half a step forward, saying loudly, "My lord, who in the world does not know of Ma Chao's might? The Xiliang cavalry is unstoppable, who in the world is not afraid of them? This is a golden opportunity. If we do not take this opportunity to eliminate him, when will Jingzhou have any chance of winning the struggle for the world in the future? My lord, everything we do is for your great cause!"

Huang Zhong also bowed and echoed, "Military Advisor Pang is absolutely right. We are all thinking of our lord."

Liu Bei raised his sword and slashed twice in the air. The wind from the sword, carrying anger, swept across the candlelight, scattering sparks: "You—you keep claiming to be working for my great cause! And you use that as an excuse to kill my junior brother? When have I ever had such thoughts?!"

He turned abruptly to Ma Chao, his voice filled with remorse: "Junior brother, it's my fault. I'll deal with this severely and give you an explanation. Junior brother, go and recover from your injuries, okay?"

Ma Chao, supporting Xu Huang, his face as pale as paper, shook his head, his voice hoarse: "Enough, senior brother. Kill us if you want today, or let us leave if you don't. If they dare to make a move in the city, they've probably already laid a trap outside."

"Yes, yes, yes!" Liu Bei panicked and hurriedly shouted to Guan Yu, "Yun Chang, quick! Ride to the city gates and check. If there's an ambush, disperse it immediately!"

Guan Yu accepted the order and charged out with his sword. Liu Bei then turned to Ma Chao, his tone almost pleading: "Junior brother, please trust your senior brother this time, okay? I will definitely give you an explanation, and nothing else will happen. Today was all an accident!"

Ma Chao closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, only resolute words remained: "Senior brother, if you truly care about our past relationship, then let us go." With that, he gripped his long sword tightly, supported Xu Huang firmly with one hand, and moved step by step toward the door.

Liu Bei watched his retreating figure, the blade of his sword clenched so tightly in his palm that it turned white. Finally, he stepped aside, his voice hoarse: "Let them go."

Just as the axemen were about to move, Pang Tong, Zhang Fei, and Zhuge Liang shouted in unison to stop them.

Pang Tong stepped forward and said urgently, "My lord! With the great cause about to succeed, how can we let go now? If we let him go today, the Xiliang cavalry will be pressing in tomorrow, and our hard-earned foundation in Jingzhou will vanish in an instant!"

Zhang Fei gripped his longsword, his voice booming so loud it made ears tremble: "Brother! This Ma Chao is exceptionally brave. If we let him go back to the mountains today, he will surely become a major threat in the future! We'll only suffer the consequences of our actions!"

Zhuge Liang was also anxious: "My lord, we must prioritize the greater cause. We have already offended Ma Chao today. If we let him go, how can he not hold a grudge? The Xiliang cavalry is fierce to begin with. If he leads his troops to attack, our Jingzhou will be in danger!"

The axemen exchanged glances, then surrounded Ma Chao again, making it impossible to move. Looking at the tense standoff before him, Ma Chao threw his sword to the ground with a clang, and smiled bitterly: "Enough. Brother, stop acting. I harbored hatred for Chang'an back then, and I never imagined it would end like this again. I accept dying here today. But among my soldiers are thirty or forty children, descendants of my fallen guards. I hope you will remember our past friendship and spare their lives."

Seeing Ma Chao's resolute expression and hearing the advice of those around him, Liu Bei felt as if a huge boulder was pressing on his chest, making it difficult to breathe. He suddenly held his sword to his neck, his hand trembling uncontrollably with anger and pain: "You...you're trying to force me to my death?"

The blade grazed his neck, leaving a thin line of blood. "Let him go!" Liu Bei roared, his voice trembling with agitation. "If I, Liu Bei, can't even protect my own junior brother, what great cause am I to speak of? Anyone who dares to stop him today will have to step over my dead body first!"